The Avatar Stones
by thechickenlittle
Summary: Zuko with his crew and Katara are taken prisoner by the Empress of Gamera, a mysterious island that hold the key to the Avatar's powers. Zutara!
1. Chapter 1

My first shot at an Avatar fic. Yeah, I know, overdone plot, but bear with me, I promise there's a nice twist.

I don't own Avatar, Nickelodeon does. But if I did, Zuko and Katara would already have started dating!

Kurlong: game played by the Water Tribe, otherwise known as hockey!

The Avatar Stones

Chap 1: Gratitude

Pitch-black skies hurled out bolts of lightning while twenty foot waves pounded the iron-hulled ship. The deck pitched and rolled like a drunken sailor as the storm raged, drenching the world in rain. Zuko scowled from where he clung for dear life to one of the side bars near the main cabin. "Can't you do anything about this!" He shouted to the girl on the opposite side of the deck. "Aren't you a master waterbender!"

Katara glared back at him from her perch on the fire spouts ladder. "I don't have that kind of power!"

"Well do _something_!" He snarled over the crash of the waves. "At this rate we'll all drown!"

"I've been trying!" She shouted back. "But there's not much I can do right about now"---her voice simply died away as she gaped up at the air behind him. Blues eyes went huge in terror. "Zuko, whatever you do, _don't let go_!"

"What!" He looked over his shoulder and felt his jaw go slack. A huge forty foot wave was about to come slamming down on his side of the ship---"Oh no." He clutched the rail with all his strength, waiting for the punishing wave to fall. But it didn't.

He yanked his head around to face the girl. She was standing free on the deck, legs braced by some loose debris that had washed up on the deck. Both hands were up, her arms making a pushing motion. It seemed to almost be building the wave up higher, but then she began to motion off to the side of the ship. He could see the strain pulling at her arms, the wave fighting to be set loose as it wished. The ship pitched sharply to the left, nearly taking her over the side before she found her footing once more. With one last effort, she forced the wave off towards the bow of the ship.

Katara fell to her hands and knees, too exhausted to stand. The deck rolled again, and she tried to brace herself once more before warm hands reached for her. The prince shook his head to clear the water out of his eyes. "Come on, we need to get back to the hold," he said, not unkindly. He helped her stand and together they stumbled back to the shelter of the inner ship.

Lieutenant Jee held open the door for them, pushing it shut with some effort against the fierce wind once they were safely inside. He blew out a breath in relief, the urge to scold the two teens overwhelming him. "(Phew.) What were you two thinking! You could have been killed out there!"

Katara looked at the soldier, and then just glared at Zuko.

He saw her look and frowned intensely. "This was not my fault."

"Right," she drawled sarcastically. "I was trying _so_ hard to escape, with no raft or anything to swim away from this ship with, in the middle of a storm, at _midnight_! And you just know I was trying to signal my friends to come rescue me in the pitch black dark with absolutely nothing in my hands to do it with. You were right to go and tackle me like some kurlong player."

If looks could kill, Katara would have died in a very imaginative way. "Then what _were_ you doing out there?" he bit out.

"What you suggested I do," she snapped. "I was trying to lessen the waves hitting the ship. I can't do that from the inside. I can't bend what I can't see. But then someone had to go and break my concentration."

The firebending prince fumed silently, scowling at her.

Quiet chuckling filled the charged silence. Both teens whirled.

Iroh was standing in the hallway, one hand over his mouth, a smile on his face. "Well, I can see that this trip will most definitely not be boring. Welcome back in, Lady Katara."

It had been less than two days ago that they had caught the waterbender shopping in one of the many port markets off the coast of the Earth Kingdom. After the battle of the North Pole, the Avatar and his group had begun heading south, presumably to find an earthbending master to teach Aang. But they had run low on supplies and stopped to buy some with the money the chieftain had given them. Aang and Sokka had been in a different part of the market, but had come running when they heard that a girl had been kidnapped by firebenders.

They were shocked to find Zuko and Iroh back together with their old crew. Zhao's fleet had scattered in the battle's aftermath, and the crew had scoured the icy waters until they had found their former commander and his nephew. The firebenders had managed to get Katara on the ship, but of course, a fierce battle had ensued between the two groups.

They had bound Katara hand and foot, rendering her useless to the fight. And while Aang was using his waterbending, he couldn't match the girl's skill and resorted to his airbending once more. But the storm they were still currently facing had been created in the chaos of battle, driving Appa away from the ship before they could regain their friend. Until the weather cleared, the flying bison was grounded. Sokka had reluctantly pulled back, Aang having to fight to convince him that Zuko would need Katara as bait for a trap for them and wouldn't harm her.

The storm had gained in speed and intensity, becoming a small hurricane. It would be some days before the ship could make land, if they could even figure out where they were. With the skies so overcast, they had no stars to navigate by, and the multiple hits of lightning to the ship's smoke stacks had magnetized every compass on board.

Katara had not been looking forward to her stay with the fire soldiers. To the girl's surprise, Iroh had taken her under his wing, untying her and treating her with the courtesy of an honored guest. He had set up a room for her, scoffing when Zuko had asked why she wasn't being sent to the ship's dungeon.

"Oh come now, Prince Zuko, what is the harm? Until her friends come for her, she has nowhere to go. And besides, I for one could use the company of a young lady to break the monotony of the trip." He glanced over his shoulder at the crew, some of whom had been crowding the doorway to see the waterbender. "I think we all could use some new faces around here. Men, be sure to treat her like a lady. I will not tolerate any disrespect to our guest."

The crew had eagerly accepted her, making introductions and asking her all kinds of questions. She had been shocked by how friendly everyone was being to her, but had smiled and accepted it as part of her stay. Zuko, of course, had been grumbling the entire time about how dangerous it was to have a waterbender loose on a ship in the open ocean, but had done as his uncle asked.

Katara hastily stood, shaking out her dress and trying to discreetly bend some of the water out of it. She blushed faintly at the title he had used for her. "Oh, sir, you really don't have to call me that."

"On the contrary. I saw how you kept my nephew from harm out there. That alone would earn my respect, my lady." The lieutenant nodded in agreement.

Zuko looked off to the side at his uncle's words, taking off his boots and dumping the water out of them. She had quite possibly saved his life out there. That wave could have swept him out into the open ocean and he would have been lost.

"But the fact that royalty graces us should grant you the title."

Zuko jerked his head up at that. "What?"

Katara started to frantically shake her head, "No, no, I"—

Iroh looked at his nephew in surprise. "You didn't know? This young lady is the princess of the southern Water Tribe."

Zuko couldn't help his staring at the girl. "You? You're a princess?"

She blushed at their scrutiny. "Well, sort of, I—I mean"—

He looked at her with disbelief. "Well? You either are or you aren't. There is no 'sort of' with royalty."

"I—it's more unofficial than anything! Gran-gran, I mean, my grandmother, is the leader of the Southern Water Tribe, but that doesn't really"—

The elder firebender smiled at her. "On the contrary, my dear. You and your brother are both heir to the leadership of the Tribe, and therefore are its acting prince and princess." He held out his hand to lead the girl to the doorway. As she took it, he said, "We must be sure that you are treated with the respect that you deserve while you journey with us, right, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko stood, looking everywhere but at the waterbender. Damn all manners, he thought to himself. Basic courtly etiquette demanded that he show her courtesy. Walking past the lieutenant and former general, he motioned to the girl. His voice sounded with reluctant courtesy, "This way, my lady."

He looked over at her mostly dry clothing and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Sure, bend your own clothes dry."

He didn't go unheard. With a small start, she caught his meaning. "Oh yeah, sorry." She held out her hand, palm facing a startled Zuko. "Hold still." She lifted her hand towards his head, then brought it slowly down. He shivered slightly as he felt all the water in his hair, clothing, and armor obey her command and flow to the floor.

Katara blushed at his nod of thanks and walked right to the prince's side. She bowed politely to the two men, "Thank you, good sirs, for your hospitality and protection on this night."

Jee found himself smiling at the young girl as Iroh replied. "You honor us with your presence, Princess Katara. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

She waited till they had walked out of earshot before muttering, "Interesting way to call me being a prisoner here."

"No," Zuko said, looking straight ahead as they walked. "My uncle called you a princess. Enemy or not, he won't treat you like a prisoner. The southern tribe can't afford to ransom you, and you're of no use to us if your friends don't know where you are. So he'll probably let you go some place."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Then trail me to find Aang once he and my brother pick me up?"

The boy snorted. "Think you're so clever, don't you?"

Katara felt her spine stiffen at his tone, but then sighed. "This doesn't have to be open warfare"—he gave her a look—"okay, bad choice of words. Look, I don't want to cause any trouble, and I definitely want off this ship as fast as possible. But I don't want to fight with you if I can help it."

He smirked. "Scared of me? Or are you still upset about our duel at the North Pole?" He noted her saddened look. "What's your problem? Your tribe won in the end, didn't they?"

Her sad gaze turned to an angry scowl. "I lost a good friend because of Zhao and dozens of my people died defending their home from invading firebenders. What part of that is a real victory?

"And as for our duel? I'll admit you won, fair and square, but I am not afraid of you. You ever want a rematch; you know where to find me." With that said, she marched into her waiting room, slamming the door in his face with a loud clang.

She paused, and then whirled back around, opening the door and knocking him onto the floor with the force of it. "Oh, and you're welcome for saving your life." The door slammed shut again.

He glared from his position. "This ought to be a great trip," he muttered.

(&(

Hope you all like it. Please review!


	2. Unagi and fog

Hey, you all seem interested! So here's some more!

Chap 2: Unagi and Fog

The next day…..

"Princess Katara! Come and see these odd silver fish! They're swimming right at the prow of the ship!"

The girl smiled at the old man's gleeful tone as she came up on deck. The storm had finally died later on last night, leaving clear skies and bright sunshine. It had taken some time to reestablish their course, but they had finally determined that they were about two hundred miles off shore of the larger Earth Kingdom continent, and were closer to the main archipelago out to the east. They were making good time to a nearby island port, the faster to get supplies, make some much needed repairs, and drop off Katara. And set up their trap for the Avatar, as Zuko kept pointing out.

She came over to where the elder stood. Leaning over the side of the rail to get a better look, she gasped. "Those aren't fish, those are dolphins!" She said excitedly. "They come and follow ships all the time in the tribe waters. They bring good luck wherever they go."

"Really?" Iroh asked. "Is there a legend that goes with that belief?"

"Oh yes," Katara said. "A long time ago, back near the beginning, when the first waterbenders began to learn from the moon spirit, one of the great silver fish came and offered the king of the people a deal. He would teach the people how to swim, for the promise that none of the people would ever eat any of his kind. The king agreed, and the Moon Spirit noticed the fish's generosity as he taught the people. He would show them where the fishing was best, how to spot the great whale sharks, and even how to hunt the unagi monsters. The moon rewarded the fish by changing him into the first of the dolphins, giving them the appearance of stars in the water and the ability to breathe the air as humans do.

"All those of his line swore to honor their promise to the king for all of time, so that if men forget how to swim, they will catch him in the water and show him how again. That's what the elders at the North Pole taught me," Katara said.

"So that's the story," one of the soldiers, Xang, remarked as he leaned over the rail to watch the dolphins at play. "I've always wondered what they were called."

"Hmm. They do have a reputation for saving sailors during wrecks and storms," Iroh said thoughtfully. "It is good to have them with us then."

Zuko came out on deck, stomping over to his uncle. "How long until we reach this Port Seiji?"

"It should be but a few more hours' time, Prince Zuko," he answered. "But come, look at the dolphins."

"Dolphins? What are those?" He said, looking to where his uncle pointed. He gasped, a tiny smile coming onto his face and flashing away in an instant. "The silver fish are back?"

"They're called dolphins," Katara said as she walked over to his side. "They breathe air like we do from the hole on their backs."

Zuko glanced over at her before looking back to the spectacle. "Dolphins, eh?" His smile grew as the animals began to jump from the water, flipping and spinning in the air. "I've never seen them do that before."

"They think they can fly," the girl giggled. "Though they always have to return to the water, they never stop trying to fly. That's what my grandmother always told me."

Zuko glanced back over to her. "What are they doing here? Do they always follow ships like ours?"

"No, not just yours," she answered. "They follow all kinds of ships. Some say they're protecting the ships from evil spirits. But they mostly like to follow fishing boats."

"Anything for a free meal, right?"

She frowned. "Not always. We're not fishing and they're still following us. Some water tribe people believe that they're reincarnated loved ones trying to protect us on the ocean."

Zuko leaned back, straightening. "Pretty stories. What kind of idiot believes that sort of garbage?"

Katara scowled behind his back, calling up a small globe of water. Iroh started to chuckle as she formed it into the signature move of the Water Tribe, the whip move. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent the whip out and soaked him completely. He froze at the feel of the cold fluid going down his back. The prince instantly steamed the water off his body, whirling to face the giggling bender. "Bad move, little girl"—

"Lord Iroh! Prince Zuko! A fog is rolling in from the east!" called the lookout. He tossed down the spyglass to Lieutenant Jee as he began to climb down from the crow's nest.

The elder looked startled. "What?" He faced the starboard side of the ship and stared. A fog was rolling in like a thick wall of grey smoke. He looked up to the still clear skies and scowled. "What kind of fog comes in broad daylight? This is not natural."

"Your friends coming to rescue you?" Zuko snapped at Katara.

"Aang doesn't know how to make fog," she snapped back. She then sent a worried look to the anomaly. "I don't know any waterbenders that can do it either."

Zuko looked startled at her words but quickly snapped out of it. The lieutenant tossed him the spyglass, and he instantly raised it to his good eye. It was indeed a wall of fog, over fifty feet high and it stretched as far as a mile across the horizon. He scowled, trying to mask his worry. He mentally ticked off a list of his enemies, (a rather long list here lately), but had to dismiss all of them. None of them had the ability to make a fog like this. "Jee, get the crew below deck and get those engines going full steam! Make for the nearest island! I don't want to be caught in that stuff," he said angrily. This would delay them for hours at the least.

Iroh turned and face the girl. "My lady, you should get below too. We don't know what this is yet"---

Katara's frightened scream split the air. She immediately sent her hands up, calling the waters to her, but knew that it wouldn't be anywhere near enough for this. Iroh whirled to see what was going on and blanched.

What looked to be a pack of unagi was racing towards the ship from the east. The giant sea serpents were swimming frantically, foaming at their mouths and beginning to spit their terrible water cannons at the ship.

Katara moved, her hands becoming a blur of motion as she tried to bend the pressurized streams away from the ship. Zuko stood at her side with Iroh flanking him, both benders sending out fiery blasts to deter the great beasts as the rest of the crew scrambled to get below decks. But the monsters ignored the flames, still heading straight for the ship. The girl darted everywhere, arms flowing and swirling, sending all her will against the jets of water, barely sending them away to the sides of the ship.

"I can't keep this up much longer," she said, strained. "They're too powerful!"

"Give us as much time as you can to scare them away!" Zuko shouted. "Unagi hate fire!"

She nodded grimly, putting all her effort into her bending. The two men sent fireballs and streams of fire out into the air, singeing some of the closer beasts. The animals roared in pain and fright, but began to speed up. Something was making them still charge in the face of such flames.

Just as they would have slammed into the side of the vessel, the first of the unagi ducked down under the waves. Most of them followed suit, diving under the iron ship. A few actually jumped into the air over the deck, one just barely clearing it before the massive splash sent a large wave crashing into the ship. They could hear the men below deck shouting in panic as the ship listed sharply to the right for a moment.

Katara lost her footing completely, slipping to the deck and sliding down towards the water. She reached out blindly trying to grab anything to hold onto when her wrist was caught in a firm grip. She met Zuko's yellow eyes, and he smirked down at her from his hold on the cabin's ladder. She smiled her thanks to him. With agonizing slowness the ship righted itself, rocking terribly before becoming stable again.

The three stood once more, Iroh clucking over them like a mother hen. "Are you sure you two are alright?"

Zuko brushed off his relative's efforts. "We're fine, uncle." He looked over his shoulder to the disappearing unagi. "But that was almost anticlimactic." The prince glanced back over to where the fog was still creeping towards them. He switched his gaze to the girl. "Have you ever seen unagi act like that?"

She shook her head. "No, never." She paused, thinking about it. "It almost looked like they were running from something."

"But what in the ocean could scare a unagi, let alone a whole pack of them?" Iroh asked, his face a stern mask to hide his worry. "I've never seen anything come close to their power, so what beast could be so great as to chase away more than ten of them?"

"I don't know, and I really don't want to find out," Zuko said. He went over to the cabin door, calling down the pipeway that connected down to the engine room, "Damage report."

"Some water damage to the engine and the entire supply of fuel is soaked. It'll be about three hours before we can get it dried out so we can move again," the engineer replied.

"Too long," Zuko said. "Make it one hour." He turned to Katara. "Can you get us moving?"

She squared her shoulders. "I'll do my best. Where to?"

The young prince pointed to the west. "Away from that fog."

&)$$

Please review!


	3. Swallowed by fog

Those who have not seen the Seige of the North Pole might be confused to some references, so here we go. Iroh mentioned loosing his son, and thinking of Zuko as his own. They never mention how his son died, or his name, so I'm taking creative license. Oh, and don't forget! Iroh was in a huge siege of the Earth Kingdom capitol city, Bai Seng Sai. (Sorry, have never seen confirmed correct spelling of that, so bear with me please.)

Know its short, more will be coming very soon!

Chap 3: Swallowed by memory

Katara collapsed to her knees, spent. It had been four hours, the fuel still wet despite the crew's best efforts to dry it out. They had been forced off course by the fog, Port Seiji being to the east. Now their course said that land was, at best estimate, ten hours away even with the engines going. The fog was less than a mile behind them and gaining fast.

The girl panted, trying to catch her breath. Iroh handed her a skein of water, and she drank it down eagerly. She tried to rise and bend some more, but Iroh put a hand on her shoulder. He didn't even put any pressure into his grip: just the weight of his hand was enough to stop her tired body from moving.

"Enough, my lady," he said gently. "You've done your best."

"We'll take it from here," Zuko said grimly as the fog move closer. "Get her below deck, uncle."

The old man nodded, taking hold of her arm and helping her stand. She walked on unsteady feet toward the iron door when suddenly—

Zuko's voice sounded, crying out sharply, "Uncle!"

Iroh whirled to help his nephew, gasping when he saw the impossible. The fog had already reached the ship's deck, and was surrounding Zuko. But what made his eyes go wide in shock was the sight of Zuko curled up on his side, both arms covering his head as he whimpered in what sounded like pain. The position made him think of the aftermath of the boy's duel with his own father, after Ozai had scarred his face. The prince wasn't moving.

"Zuko! Hold on, my boy!" Iroh pushed Katara through the door and went to go back to his nephew when the first tendrils of fog touched him----

Suddenly he was back on the plains surrounding the city of Bai Seng Sei, the hot sun beating down on him, the blood of his only child staining the ground before him.

**_Its your fault, its your fault, its all your fault_**—

"No!" he cried out. "No, I trained him the best I could, I tried to protect him"—

**_Your fault, your fault, your fault_**—

"No! Stop it! _This is not real_!"

The body of his son slowly rose from the ground, the dirt matting with the blood in his soft brown hair and staining his shattered armor. Where his laughing grey eyes had been were now nothing but terrible orbs of solid black. Charred armor and burned flesh moved in horrifying parody of life. He glared at his father with hate written all over his face. "You did this. You did this to me. Your own son."

"No! Shang, believe me"—

Katara stared at the kind old man as he fell to his knees, his face now a mask of shock and horror. "Lord Iroh? Iroh?"

She barely hard him mumbling something under his breath: something that sounded like pleading. She tried to catch him as he collapsed to the ground. "Lord Iroh! Please speak to me! What is going on!" She looked up as she saw the fog creeping around her, going past her as if it had a mind of its own and snaking down towards the hold. She could hear the crew beginning to scream in terror, calling out names and prayers and pleading for mercy. The panic began to infect the normally brave girl, seeping into her spirit like cold wind. "Stop it, stop it!" she screamed.

She jerked at the feel of an icy hand on her shoulder. The girl turned and found herself facing a masked man. Green eyes peered out of the skull-like mask. He wore black pants and a grey hooded tunic, making him difficult to see in the midst of the fog. "Are you alright, lady?"

"Wh-what?" She stammered. "Ye—yes, I'm fine. But you have to help the others, something's wrong"---

"The men on this ship are firebenders?"

"Huh? Y-yes. What are you doing here? What are you going to do with us? And what is this fog _doing_ to them!"

He bowed his head in respect. "Lady, by the orders of the Empress of the Gamera, this ship is declared trespassing in her waters and is subject to the consequences thereof. We have been ordered to capture this ship and everyone on board is to be brought before the Empress in her courtyard.

"This fog is one of her many spells," he gestured to a jar strapped to his belt, the stopper off its cap. He casually flipped it shut, the fog instantly dispersing into the air. The sun began to break through, sending much needed warmth to the chilled girl. "The fog shows anyone their worst fears and nightmares, but only men. Women are immune to it." More men came up over the sides of the railing, similarly clad in black and grey with the masks on their faces. They reached out for Zuko and Iroh, ropes in hand. "We will tie them up and take the ship back to our island," the man explained.

She looked down at the simple hemp rope, glancing back up at the man in disbelief. "They'll burn right through those."

"Where we're going, this will be more than enough to hold them," he replied.

She backed away as some of the men began to approach her. "What are you going to do with me?"

"We will escort you to the palace to see the Empress. It is her standing orders that any women found in our waters are to be treated with respect and brought before Her Majesty immediately."

She slowly stood as the other men tied Iroh and Zuko together and invaded the main cabin to take control of the ship. "What will happen when we get to Gamera?"

The man shrugged, but his tone implied fear. "That is for the Empress to decide."

Katara gave him a sweet smile before assuming her fighting stance, determined to not show how little energy she had left to fight with. "I don't think I like the sound of this empress."

The man shook his head, assuming a stance of his own. "Why does everyone have to do this the hard way?"

)&$&$

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	4. Waking to wonder

Long chap this time!

Chap: waking to wonder

The rocking of several small ships had awoken the stolen crew from their fog induced nightmares. As they discovered their position, most tried to get loose, to no avail. As they looked around, one sight caught the attention of all present. The crew was looking up in awe. They simply could not believe their eyes.

A huge grey reptilian head easily the size of a mountain was clearing the water. Its massive neck was covered in sagging leathery skin, and it must have been over three thousand feet long and one thousand feet thick. But it was the creature's back that made them all stare. The beast's back was covered in land. Not dirt, but actual land, with small mountains, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, thick jungle foliage, vines hanging everywhere off of it. There were even buildings visible through the forest's edge and on some of the mountains. The entire creature was as large as a fair sized island. As the head bobbed with the ocean's movements, they caught sight of the edge of its shell, brown and aged, covered with seaweed and barnacles.

Zuko stared, disbelieving. "Uncle, is that what I think it is?" he said, awestruck.

"If you're thinking that it's a giant sea turtle, then I think you may be right," the old man replied. He shook his head in wonder. "No wonder we've only heard stories about Gamera. I always thought it was just a legend."

He smiled, amazed. "An entire island on the back of a sea turtle. I haven't seen anything like this since I went to the Spirit World."

Katara looked over at him in surprise from her spot near the rowers. "You've been in the Spirit World?"

"Yes, many years ago. It was back when I"—

"Quiet back there. Keep your tongues to yourselves. I want no chatter here," the leading man snapped. He had taken off his mask once his men had captured all of the crew onboard. The firebenders were grateful to be free of the fog, but were outraged once the effects had finally lifted. They had all been tied up and some had been trussed like animals if they had tried to fight. Taken by surprise and without their bending, they had been forced to go with the strange captors.

Katara looked askance at the man. "Not that I'm complaining, but why haven't you tied me up?" She asked. He didn't answer her. In fact, most of the captors had made a point to avoid her as much as they could after the fight. Few had spoken to her, and some had even acted like they were afraid of her. '_This just gets weirder and weirder as it goes,_' she thought. '_None of this makes sense. Are they a group like Jet's, some kind of resistance to the Fire Nation? Or are they earthbenders? What is going on here?_'

Zuko shifted where he sat, the ropes biting into his wrists. "Tell me again," he said, softly so that the men wouldn't hear. "Why didn't you use your bending to try and stop them? We were on the ocean, for Agni's sake!" He hissed. "We were surrounded by your element. That should have been child's play for you."

She scowled at him. "No, I just sat by and let them do as they pleased," her lowered voice dripping sarcasm. "What do you think I did? I hit them with everything I had, but there were too many. They brought over a hundred men onto the ship, I couldn't fight them all off. And besides, you ought to know better. Just because the fog made it dark didn't mean it wasn't still daylight." She sighed in frustration

He accepted that. Katara was a strong bender on any occasion, but at night, she was unstoppable. The sun had been a disadvantage to her. He scowled as another thought came. When the fog had come, she could barely stand after she had been moving the ship for four hours. The girl had been in no shape to fight.

One of the soldiers, Tsu Choi, whispered, "Why can't you use it now? You could throw them out of the boats"—

"And knock us into the water, maybe?" Zuko asked. "In case you don't remember, its difficult to swim with your hands tied. Besides, she's been bending for hours. She's not up for more anytime soon."

Tsu Choi slumped back, nodding. "Sorry."

"Keep thinking," Zuko whispered. "We have to figure a way out of this."

"You won't be getting anywhere," one of the men said, as he pulled on the oars of the boat. "No one can escape once the Empress has them."

"Who is this empress?" Katara asked.

The man twitched nervously. "Empress Zhiyi, of the Qu'long dynasty. She's the newest ruler of Gamera. Had five other heirs to the throne besides her, and they all either disappeared or were found murdered. She's not one to defy."

"Quiet, Katsuya," the leader said. "You're not to talk to the prisoners."

"But the girl asked me, Captain Honda," Katsuya said.

"Very well. Miss, try not to talk to the prisoners," the captain said. "We'll be arriving soon. You should rest."

Katara reluctantly obeyed his order.

Honda's thoughts were spinning. '_A waterbender! Of all the cursed luck! If the empress gets the last of the stones from her, there'll be no hope for the resistance at all!_'

((&

As they were taken off the boats and marched into one of the small villages rimming Gamera, the crew began to notice something. Everywhere they looked, there were more men than women. It seemed that for every one woman, there were six men. There weren't many children anywhere, and the majority of those were boys.

Lieutenant Jee couldn't help his curiosity. "Where are all the women?" He asked quietly. "Is there some kind of festival for them or something somewhere else?"

"I don't think so," Iroh answered back. "Something about this place doesn't feel right." He had observed the behavior of the people, unable to shake the feeling that something was off. For one thing, the men here were looking at the crew in open sympathy. And the women were looking upset about something.

"What do you think it could be?" The prince asked.

"I don't know. But the whole feel of this place is wrong." He shuddered. "It is as if the spirits themselves are angry here."

The march went on, further into the island and up towards the highest mountain on Gamera. Katara finally collapsed to the ground, unable to walk anymore with the drain on her body. Zuko didn't say a word as he knelt down beside her, motioning her to climb on his back. She was too tired to protest, falling asleep once she'd found a good position. The boy hitched her up slightly higher on his back and kept moving.

Iroh nodded in approval. Zuko just shook his head. "It's nothing, uncle."

"Oh, I know, nephew, I know." The old man couldn't help his smile. He truly wanted Zuko to find a nice girl sometime and have a little fun. And possibly remember that he was still just seventeen years old, not forty.

As they moved farther up the path, they saw that on the mountain, seeming to hang off its sides, was a palace. Made of white stone and red tile roofs, it glittered like a jewel tossed onto green grass against the vines and jungle covering the land.

"You'll be sent before the Empress," Captain Honda said. "She'll judge you for trespassing in her waters."

"How can we be trespassing in the waters of an island that moves around?" Zuko said incredulously. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. How do you know when you're in them or not?"

"That's for the Empress to decide, not you, whelp," Honda snapped.

"But how can you stay out of a nation's waters if you don't even know where the nation is!" The prince nearly shouted in frustration.

Honda glared at him. "That's enough out of you." He motioned over to his men, and in one swift move, they grabbed Katara from him and knocked the teen unconscious.

"Zuko!" The general cried. "You didn't need to do that. He's just a hot-headed young boy."

"Believe me, this is the easiest way to deal with him. You don't want to see how our Empress deals with behavior like that," Honda said grimly. One of the soldiers picked the prince up, slinging him over his shoulder and marching on. Katara groaned at being yanked around so roughly, but stirred, waking from her short rest. "Are you alright?" Lieutenant Jee asked.

"Fine, just a little dizzy," she said, slowly coming to her feet, the soldier letting go of her. She looked around, gasping as she saw the prince unconscious. "What did you do to him?"

"He was acting out," the captain snapped. "Now keep moving. We haven't got all day." Jee held out his arm to help support the girl as they marched.

They continued up the mountain side, coming through large gates to the palace courtyard. Katara gasped at the sight. Beautiful columns of white marble supported a huge ceiling that covered half the open area. Railings of alabaster ringed the courtyard, except for the farthest edge that lead out to the open sea.

The courtyard was on the edge of one of the sheerest cliffs on Gamera, railings guarding two sides like a large open-ended U. The crew was shoved out into this area, their backs toward the open cliff's edge. The men shuffled nervously, trying to push forward to a safer distance, but were shoved back by the guards.

Katara felt herself being yanked forward. Captain Honda had taken her hand and was leading her towards the dais where a young woman sat in regal splendor. Barely dressed men were fanning the lady, making the waterbender blush at the sight of them. The woman was tall, with wavy black hair flowing back from her porcelain face. She had a cold air about her, even though her coloring suggested her family was originally from the Fire Nation. She was dressed in thin embroidered robes of white silk, and her throne was a simple stone bench covered in silken cushions.

She lowered her gaze to the captain, Katara shivering at the purple eyes she saw in her face. "My captain. You have brought me more men?"

He bowed his head, "Yes, Your Majesty. A large ship of firebender soldiers."

"Yet I specifically told you to bring more women to my isle," she said. Her voice was cold and blunt, sending shivers down many spines. "Are you becoming hard of hearing that you cannot follow my orders correctly?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Than you know that they are of no use to me," she said. She dismissed them with a slight wave of her hand. "Remove them from my sight."

The captain scowled, turning around to face his men. "Push them back."

"What!" Jee shouted. He immediately braced his feet, trying to give himself some resistance to the shoving of the captors. It wasn't working. The men began to frantically try and escape their bonds, Iroh even going so far as to use his teeth to chew the ropes off. He looked over to where Zuko lay, unable to defend himself. "Don't let them touch my boy!" He shouted. The crew set their feet into the ground, fighting for purchase on the slick marble. But nothing worked. The men were creeping toward the edge, some nearly going over.

"Stop it!" Katara screamed, wrenching free of the captain's hold. She ran forward, using her own physical fighting abilities to force the guards away. The Empress's men began to falter, not striking back at the girl no matter what she did. Finally reaching the front of the crew, she stood her ground, arms in a fighting stance. "You will not hurt them," she snapped. "You want to try, you have to go through me first!"

"Halt!" Captain Honda shouted. "Do not touch her." He turned and faced the empress. "I have brought you something you have wanted for a long time, Your Majesty."

She raised an eyebrow, enjoying the show before her. "Oh?"

"The firebender's ship had a woman on board, Empress. This girl," he pointed at Katara, "is a waterbender."

A collective gasp went through the assembled people. An excited gleam came into the Empress's eyes. "A waterbender, you say?" She stood, the other people bowing to keep their heads lower than hers. She walked forward, her gaze intent on the girl.

"Show me your bending," she ordered.

Katara panted nervously, trying to keep her cool and to calm herself enough to bend properly. Focusing the little energies she had left, she pulled water from the air, forming a ball suspended above her palm. She nearly swayed, going dizzy at the effort.

Empress Ziyi's eyes shone with an almost feral light. "What is your name?"

"She is the heir to the throne of the Southern Water Tribe, Empress," Iroh called out. "She is Princess Katara, sister to the ruling Prince Sokka of the House of the Arctic Waves."

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	5. getting gifts

Don't own the Avatar crew!

Chap: Gifts……

Katara turned to face the old man as he came to her side, eyes wide at his words. "What are you doing?" She whispered frantically.

"Saving us," he whispered back, making his way through the men of the guard. "We are the princess's escort on her journey to visit her royal cousins in the North Lands. We were coming back to her waters when you attacked and abducted us. We demand that you release our Princess and let us go," he said boldly.

One of the guards bristled at his tone. "Do not speak to the Empress that way"--

"Silence," the woman said, slight respect coming through her tone. "We did not know that this was a royal escort. Please accept my sincerest apologies for my guards' lack of courtesy to you and yours," she nodded to Katara.

The waterbender pulled into her best posture, doing her best to look down her nose at the taller woman. "If it would please you, I would like my men to be set free, that I may keep some dignity in your halls."

Iroh hid his look of surprise. He's had no idea that the girl possessed any acting skills.

"Of course, Princess Katara," Zhiyi said. She motioned for the girl to come and sit by her side as she went back to her throne. Katara walked as regally as she could, trying to remember how Princess Yue had acted in the North Pole. She went to the bench the men offered her, sitting down and turning to face the empress.

"We do not wish to impose on you, Empress, and can depart in very short order if it pleases you."

"Oh no," the woman said, an urgent tone in her voice. "I wouldn't dream of just sending you off like this, showing you and your escort such poor hospitality. I insist that you stay for a time and enjoy the delights my kingdom can afford you. Please think of my country as your own. Yahiko," she called.

"Yes, High Empress," the man replied. She conferred with him for a bit before she dismissed him. She then motioned to Captain Honda. "Undo their bonds and see to any injuries they may have."

The guards did as she bid, cutting their bonds and helping to rouse a groggy Zuko. Once free, Iroh sent the word among his men. "Act casual. Do nothing to disturb the guards. With so many fighters here, it would be difficult to get all of us out of here. Play along for now." The crew assumed their parade stance, Iroh leading a few of them over to Katara's side. He brought Zuko along with him, quietly catching him up on what was going on. The young prince bit his tongue at the outrage of being further demoted to nothing more than a bodyguard, and did as his uncle bid.

Katara bowed her head graciously. "Thank you for seeing to my escort's comfort."

The empress smiled at her. "Oh, its no trouble. But your party is most unusual. I have never seen firebenders being so obedient to a waterbender. It is an unbelievable pairing."

Iroh thought fast, trying to think of an excuse, but Katara beat him to it. "They were a gift from my father when he was away fighting. He thought I might appreciate their talents," she said.

"Ah," Ziyi breathed. "Your father has excellent taste in servants. Yet they have no bands."

Katara tried to play it cool, keeping her nervous and exhausted shaking at bay by a thread. "Bands, Empress?"

"The slave bands to mark them as property. Surely you band your slaves, Princess."

Katara's eyes went wide in shock. Slaves? "Wha"—

"We swore an oath to protect the Princess Katara as if she was our own," Iroh spoke. "A firebender's word is his life. We have kept our loyalty to our princess as promised."

"This is Iroh, a formal general of the Fire nation and one of my personal servants. He speaks for all of my men here," Katara said, trying not to choke on her words. Of all the evils she had seen in the world, none sickened her more than slavery. Now she would have to pretend to own the entire crew! "They have proven their honor to me several times. They have no need of bands."

"Most impressive. But will you accommodate my wish that they be banded?" The empress asked. "I do not wish to cause confusion among my soldiers. They may see your men out loose and"—she paused—"cause them some harm by mistake. We do have a few runaways on the island, and they tend to be disruptive. My men have orders to kill them on sight."

Katara swallowed hard as some of the crew shifted uneasily. "I do not wish to cause an incident. I will be sure to have them banded at your leisure."

"My thanks, Princess. You must be tired from your long journey. I have given orders for rooms to be prepared for you and your servants, they should be ready now. You may rest if you like."

Knowing a dismissal when she heard one, the girl eagerly accepted. "Thank you for your consideration. I believe I shall retire for the evening."

The ruler seemed struck by a sudden idea. "One moment, Princess. Since I could not give you a proper greeting upon your initial arrival to Gamera, please accept these gifts instead." She waved a hand and three young men walked forward. "These are some of my finest geishan. I would be honored if you would accept their service to you."

'_What the heck are geishan?'_ she thought, confused. The girl nodded. "I would be most happy to accept your magnanimous gifts, Empress. Thank you for your generosity." She turned and followed the guard out into the hallway, the firebenders and three geishan trailing behind her.

Ziyi smiled. '_This is wonderful. Now I won't have to attack the water tribes to get my stone. I can just use her for ransom! Once I have the water stone back, I can begin my plan to conquer the world!_'

()&$

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	6. A bath at last

Hi guys! More of my fic here for you all, hope you like it!

Chap: a bath at last…..

Once the guard left the room, Katara collapsed on the huge bed. She closed her eyes, exhaustion pouring over her.

Iroh and Zuko were not so idle. "Have you found any weaknesses in their defenses, uncle?"

"None that I could see so far, Prince Zuko." He sighed. "We don't have enough intelligence about the island to make a working plan. This is most unfortunate."

The young man nodded in agreement. He frowned in thought before glancing back at his uncle. "Can we send out some of the guards to gather more information? Since they're under the princess'," he gestured to the girl, "protection, they should be able to move about with some form of immunity."

The old man nodded in thought. "I will send the word out for them to keep their eyes and ears alert, but we must be careful not to arouse suspicion. We don't want to wear our welcome too thin. The empress doesn't look like someone we should try to cross."

The teen nodded grimly. "You said that there were legends about Gamera," the prince said. "What legends?"

"I had always thought that they were just made up stories to entertain the children," the man replied. His face became grim. "I've only heard that those who go to Gamera never come back. The giant sea turtle was born back in the beginning of the world, and is the oldest creature on the planet. As it drifted through the waves, soil and plants clung to its shell, building into the island we're standing on right now." He glanced over to the girl. "Surely the water tribes have more knowledge of this than I."

"If they do, I've never heard of it," she said wearily. "But right now, I don't think I'd remember my own name, I'm so tired." She sat up with some effort, her gaze sad. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

Zuko blinked, his only show of surprise. "For what?"

"They have to put those bands on you. I'm so sorry."

Iroh shook his head. "You were trying to protect us from harm, a noble thing. You did us a service, and we will not forget it."

Katara found herself blushing at his praise. She looked bleary-eyed around the lavish room, grimacing in distaste. "Who decorated in here, a blind man?" The room was a chaotic swirl of green and purple coverings, hangings, and curtains. The furniture was painted in gaudy colors; everything looking like a mismatched kaleidoscope had exploded on it.

Zuko shuddered, hating the room instantly. He preferred much simpler accommodations. "Okay, who gets the bed?"

"Lord Iroh"—"The princess"—Katara and the elder spoke at the same time. She gaped at him. "I'm not about to take a bed away from an elder, that's disrespectful!"

He laughed outright. "I'm not about to take a bed away from a princess."

"I'm not a"—

"Shh!" Zuko hissed, his hand going up to help silence them. He tilted his head to listen to the noises of the hallway better. "Someone's coming." They immediately parted and went to separate parts of the room, Zuko by the door, presumably to guard it. Iroh headed for the closet, looking like he was sorting the clothes he found there. Katara made for the bed, kicking off her shoes and loosening her hair from its bun.

One of the geishan went and knocked on the door. Zuko slowly pulled back the sliding door, questioning the boy's purpose there. He gave a soft voiced answer, and the prince let him through after checking him for any concealed weapons. If he was going to be a bodyguard, the prince thought to himself, he'd better look the part.

The geishan was a thin boy, no older than Zuko, and was slightly taller than the prince, with long brown hair pulled into a low braid and green eyes cast down to the floor. He only wore a short vest and a pair of loose trousers, with a pair of thin leather shoes on his feet. As Zuko resumed his post as guard, the boy sank into a deep bow.

"Greetings, Princess Katara. I am Pai Long, a trained geishan of Empress' Zhiyi's court. I have been sent to be your loyal servant from now on."

"Well met, Pai Long," the elder man said kindly. "I am Iroh, the princess' advisor and servant. You've met Zuko," he gestured to the firebender, "the personal bodyguard of her royal highness."

"Hello, Master Iroh, Master Zuko," the boy answered. "I have been instructed to see to the Princess' needs. May I be of assistance to you?"

Katara blushed, a bit flustered at so much attention and having no idea what to do with it. "C-can you do anything with hair?"

He nodded, going over to the vanity and rummaging through the drawers. Finding a brush and a few hair ribbons, he walked over to her side. She made to get up, making him look at her oddly. "Do you require something, princess?"

"No," she said, confused. "I'm just moving so you can reach my hair better."

Iroh chuckled, "Princess, you need not move for that. He can reach around you." Zuko shook his head in amusement at the girl. As the servant worked, Iroh headed out into the hallway to speak to the guards. It was time to gather some intelligence.

"Oh," she said, blushing. Pai Long simply went for her hair, looking concerned as he ran the brush through her dark brown locks. She began to relax, accepting the foreign touch and liking the odd feeling of being pampered. She nearly started when he spoke, "My Princess, would you like for me to trim your hair?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Does it need it?"

"The sea air has not been kind to it," he nodded. "Is there a particular style that you care for me to try?"

"Um, no, not really. Just a simple trim should do," the girl replied. In truth, she'd never had her hair cut. There wasn't any real reason for that, just that she'd never had to the time. It was over four feet long when undone.

The former general returned to the room, a look of concern on his face as he addressed the geishan. "Perhaps tomorrow," Iroh said, "but for now, I believe the lady could do with a bath."

"A bath?" Katara said, delight coming through her voice.

"As you wish, Master Iroh," the boy nodded. He went to the door and out the hall, fetching some bathing supplies and calling for some of the guards to bring in a large brass tub. They brought in buckets of steaming hot water, Pai Long adding soap shavings to the water to make it bubble. As soon as the tub was full, nearly overflowing with bubbles, the guards took their leave. Iroh and Zuko made for the door, but Pai Long stayed put.

Katara glanced over at him. "Don't you have something to do?"

"Indeed, Princess." He brought out a large pitcher and a bucket of warm water, sitting down by the side of the tub. "I have the rinse for your hair ready."

Her eyes grew wide at the realization. "You-you aren't leaving?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "Do you want me to leave, Princess?"

"Ah, my lady," Iroh interrupted from the hallway. "I believe the young man means that he too is a personal servant, and so means to help you bathe."

Pai Long nodded in agreement before pausing. "Do you wish for your regular geishan to do this, princess?"

_I have no idea what he's talking about, but it has to be better than this!_ "Y-yes, I do."

"Very well, princess." He got up to leave. "I will return when you call for me."

"Thank you, Pai Long," she said. He nearly stopped in his tracks in surprise before regaining his composure and continuing out the door. She looked over at the two men.

Zuko scowled at her when the door slid closed. "You aren't supposed to thank servants for doing their job."

She glared back at him. "Why not? They don't have to do a _good_ job, you know."

"They do if they want to live longer," he snapped. Her glare grew hotter as the two teens stared at each other. Iroh cleared his throat, breaking the stalemate. "My lady, we can give you further coaching in royal ettiqutte later, but for tonight, we have more important things to discuss."

Zuko nodded in abashed apology, Katara bowing slightly as well. She gave a worried look at the elder. "My apologies for being rude, but you have to tell me something. This is driving me crazy, what the heck is a geishan?" Zuko perked in intrest as well. He had a slight idea of what they might be specifically for, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"I questioned the guards about it," Iroh said. "I told them that I wanted to see how the new geishan would measure up to your own in comparison of duties. They told me that the geishan are the most personal servants of the nobles, like a manservant in most royal palaces. Some areeven trained as bodyguards for the upper nobles." He refrained from mentioning the rest of their duties.

"So that makes me a geishan?" Zuko said, scowling.

"I'm afraid so, my boy. But cheer up! You get to spend endless amounts of time with our lovely princess."

"Oh, joy," Katara drawled, unable to help her laughter as his discomfort. She made some shooing motions. "Enough chit-chat for me, now get out. I want that bath."

"Alright," the general nodded,"but Zuko has to stay in here with you."

"What!" Both teens cried.

"He has to stay here with you. He's your bodyguard, and cannot leave your side even for a moment. And only your geishan can see you undressed," Iroh explained. He winked at his nephew. "No peeking, now."

"Uncle!" He said, mortified.

Katara was blushing bright red now. "Oh, boy." She inched towards the tub as Iroh left the room. Zuko went over to the door, turning his back to the room. "Go on and get this over with," he growled.

The girl couldn't help her unease. "You—you promise you won't look?"

He almostwinced at the slight fear in her tone. He knew he had a fierce reputation, but just what did she think of him? "I promise, now would you hurry it up? Some of us want to get some sleep sometime before dawn."

"Alright already. Sheesh," she muttered, resentful of his tone. She made short work of her clothes, moaning out loud as she stepped into the hot water. "Oh, this is divine," she said.

Zuko had his fists clenched, getting very annoyed. "Will you hurry up?"

"I haven't had a bath, a real with soap-and-bubbles bath, for two whole weeks. Pardon me for missing it," she snapped. "I'll be out in a minute". She only used the soaps for her hair, not familiar enough with the oils to risk using them, rinsing off and hurriedly scrubbing her body. As she made to get up, she noticed the lack of towels. "Um, Zuko? Did you see where Pai Long put the towels?"

He glanced over his shoulder to the room. "Over on the bed with the night robe."

She blushed furiously at the thought of walking through a room, naked, that had a strange boy in it. She shook her head at her own ridiculousness, getting up and hurrying over to the towels, wrapping her hair up in one and tying to other around herself. "You can look now."

He turned back to face her, but whirled back around at the sight of the girl. "For the love of Agni, put some clothes on, woman!"

"Will you calm down?" she shook her head at him. "I'm almost done. So hurry and get your bath," she said, shimmying out of the towel and wrapping the night robe around herself.

He started, turning back around and staring at her in shock. "What?"

"You need a bath too. Why do you think I didn't use the oils? I didn't think you wanted to smell like a girl."

A very wicked thought driven by hormones entered his head and wouldn't leave, making his mouth talk before he could think. "You—I don't want you to help me! I can take a bath by myself!"

She looked at him oddly. "Who said anything about that?" He flushed at his presumption. "But I can't leave, so I'll just wait by the bed. Besides, you aren't supposed to leave someone alone in a bath if they just got a head injury. Those guards hit you pretty hard. Are you okay?"

He reached up a hand, rubbing his neck and blushing. "It wasn't that serious."

"I'd still feel better if someone was with you, and since we're in this situation, it has to be me. Besides, you don't have anything I haven't seen before." She then gave him a mock horrified look. "Or do you?"

"Oh, shut up," he muttered, face turning red as he undid the fastenings of his armor. She turned her head to give him privacy, looking back only when she heard him getting into the water. He relaxed, sinking into the water till only his head was visible. '_It's been way too long,_' he thought to himself. On a ship, water was too precious to waste on a full out bath, so this was a rare luxery for him.

Katara smiled at the expression on his face. "Fabulous isn't it? In the Water Tribes, we can't get hot baths. Fuel is too scarce up there, unless you live near a hot spring."

He looked over at her in surprise. "You mean you had to have a cold bath every time? How can you stand it?"

"If it's all you've ever known, you never miss what you've never had," she shrugged. "First time I got into a hot spring, I thought I was about to boil."

He shook his head, sitting up to get down to business. He glanced around the soupy water in mild confusion, "Where'd you put the wash cloth?"

"Over here," she walked over and handed it to him. As she made to go back to the bed, she noticed something and turned back towards the tub. Sitting herself down, she gingerly touched the back of his head.

He jerked around to face her. "What are you doing?"

"Checking your injury," she said, not really paying attention to him anymore despite their close proximity. Well, that wasn't quite true. She 'saw' his body in the tub, she just didn't 'notice' the other ninety-five percent that she wasn't focusing on. "Its swollen pretty bad back here. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Its not that bad," he said, teeth clenched in pain as she ran her fingers over the injury in a light sweep. Truthfully, it was causing a pounding headache, and he had been feeling sick to his stomach for awhile now.

She rolled her eyes. "Men. Everything the hard way." Using the techniques she learned from the healer masters, she brought up water from the tub, cooling it to the right feel to begin. "Hold still, I can fix this."

"What are you doing?"

"Twist your head like that again, and something could go wrong with the bending, now hold still," she said sternly. He froze in position. He felt, rather than saw, the power start to grow in her hands. She slowly brought it into his system, drawing fluid away from the injury and balancing energies there. She let her sight fall inward, seeing the damage down on the inside. The young bender gasped at the sight of a slight fracture to his skull. Using the minerals of the water, she pulled them into his system to help repair the fracture, going slow to give his body time to go out of shock. Finally, it was mended.

She pulled away from him, slightly out of breath. "Did you know that your skull was cracked?"

"What? It was?" He asked, still not moving.

She gave a tiny laugh, "You can turn your head now."

He reached up, trying to feel what had been done. The swelling was gone, and his headache was gone with it. He frowned. "So I was in partial shock, then?"

"Yeah. It should leave in a few minutes. It wasn't that serious a fracture." She took a few deep breathes to get herself back.

He looked over at her, mild concern on his features. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. If you want, I can wash your hair."

He started a bit. "Why?"

"Well, I want to be sure the energies are still right in that area, so that if they start to unbalance I can take care of it right away. You need to watch for that for the first twenty minutes or so, so that you can correct it if you haven't done it right." _'It has nothing to do with the fact that you look nice without a shirt on. No, not a thing to do with that.'_

He scowled, uncomfortable with having her continue touching him for reasons he didn't want to think too much about right now, but acknowledged her practicality. He also noted her fierce blush as she worked in the soap. A small sigh escaped him as she worked her fingers over his head. She felt the stubble of new hair, growing curious. "Do you shave often?" She asked softly, not wanting to break the odd feel of comradery that she had with him. "I've never met someone your age that keeps their hair like this."

"About twice a week," he said. "I've kept it shaved since I got my scar."

She hmmed in acknowledgement and went silent, not wanting to ask outright about something so personal. Actually, she'd asked the crew about Zuko the moment she'd been given free reign on the ship. She'd asked what he was like, how he treated people, and what he would do with her. The answers had surprised her. They had said that Zuko was basically a good kid that had gotten a very bad deal from his father, and that he would be fine with her as long as she didn't cause trouble. That had given her a lot to think about, as what she had seen of his behavior didn't quite mesh with this side that she now saw.

She went for the wash cloth, lathering it up and starting on the back of his neck and shoulders, warning him that this was part of the area she needed to watch. Zuko was blushing so much he thought he might get a nosebleed. He'd never been around girls much in the palace, and being on a ship for two years hadn't helped his social graces at all. He truly had no idea what to expect from this girl. But the prince had to admit to some surprise that she wasn't asking about his face. He glanced back at her. "You've got to be the politest person I've ever met."

She frowned in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"You haven't asked about my face once, the whole time you've been on the ship. Even now, you haven't said anything. I think you hold the record."

She looked away from him, not needing to clarify what he was talking about. "It's your business, not mine. You don't have to tell me anything, if you don't want to."

"Thanks for your generosity," he said with light sarcasm. He made to get up. "I'm getting out now."

"Wait, don't forget to rinse," she said, handing him the pitcher and moving off to the side of the room. He toweled off, wrapping it about his waist. "Are there any clothes for me?"

"Pai Long didn't bring any," she answered. "Give me a minute, I'll check the closet." She rummaged around, pulling out an open vest and a pair of pants. "This is it for men's clothing."

"It'll do," he said, moving to change into them. the pants were fine, but the vest was too small. He tossed it off to the side of the tub as he gingerly rolled his neck.The price smiled slightly at the feel of his once sore muscles now working just fine. Katara smiled at his action, privately congradulating herself on her third successful healing without supervision. She yawned, stretching tiredly. He took pity on her, knowing just how exhausted she must be after such draining bending. "Go on, get some sleep. I'll get this mess out of here." She nodded, making for the bed. She barely had the strength to pull back the covers before collapsing into sleep.

Zuko called the guards to clear out the tub and to bring him and his uncle a futon. They complied, and he settled down on the other side of the room to sleep. Iroh decided to stay up a little longer. He needed to know more about the island, and especially more about this Empress.

)(&&$)

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	7. draining

Sorry its been so long, just waiting for the new episodes of Avatar for inspiration. I can't believe Zuko cut his hair! WAHHHH!

Chap: Draining

The next morning, the prince woke shortly after sunrise. He stretched slowly, using the time reorient himself in the unfamiliar surroundings. He scowled at the memory of the situation they were in. Though it wasn't uncommon in the Fire Nation, he still hated slavery. He had refused to use any for his own servants. And now he was stuck masquerading as one.

He got up, glancing over to the bed. The girl was still asleep. He decided to use the time to practice his forms. As long as he was quiet, he shouldn't disturb her. He cleared away some of the furniture to make a space, and began his drills.

Before he was a third into his routine, he stopped, confused. He tried one of his moves again, waiting for the short burst of fire that should accompany it. Nothing happened. He tried it again, focusing his energy into the blow.

Nothing. Not a single spark or ember appeared.

He scowled. He went into a light meditation trace, searching for the inner fire that all firebenders possessed. It was still there, still burning, but the flame was muted, and he couldn't reach it. No matter what he tried, he couldn't pull the fire into his reach. Zuko was nearing to panic. He made for the door, hoping his uncle was up by then. The door opened just as he approached it. Iroh made to come in, looking concerned. "Nephew? Is something wrong?"

"Uncle, I can't flame," he said urgently.

"What?"

"I tried, but I can't make flame!"

"Shh, keep your voice down," the old man hushed him. He held out his palm, obviously focusing to create the fire that marked their people, but his results were the same as Zuko's. He nodded, a grim expression coming onto his face. "I've checked with some of the crew. All of the soldiers can no longer create flame. I noticed that on the march to the castle, no one, anywhere that I saw, was bending. I am beginning to believe that we can't while we're on this island."

"No one can bend? How is that possible?"

"I don't know," the old man said, shaking his head. "Until we find out more about this place, there isn't much we can do about it."

"Do you think it's permanent?" The boy asked nervously.

"I pray to the spirits its not."

Zuko took that as an 'I don't know.' "How are we supposed to escape?"

"We'll have to figure something out. For now, we have to play along. There are too many soldiers for us to just try charging out of here without our bending."

Zuko paused, glancing over to the girl. "But she can still bend. How is that possible?"

Iroh thought a moment. "The Captain said something about the Empress wanting waterbenders. I haven't seen any, and from what I can tell from the rumors among the guards, there are no others on the island. Perhaps waterbenders are the exception to rule here."

"Great," Zuko muttered.

"Do not despair. You have seen for yourself how powerful she is. And I do not think that she would abandon us here."

"She's a waterbender," the prince argued. "She has no reason to help any firebender, us in particular." He hid his blush at the memory of last night.

Iroh's face fell for a moment. "She is from the southern tribe. Do you know the story of the south pole?"

Zuko frowned. "Just that the army swept through it a long time ago."

Iroh nodded, going over to a nearby bench and sitting down. "It was during the first twenty years of the war. The Avatar had disappeared. Some thought that he had been killed already, and since the next incarnation in the cycle was water, the fire lord ordered that the entire people be wiped out, as the Airbenders had been."

"You mean, like genocide?" Zuko said, horror showing in his voice.

"Yes," Iroh said sadly. "The army made to attack the South Pole first, waging war for over fifty years. Every bender was killed on sight, in the hope of stopping the avatar."

"But that would send him to the next incarnation. Earth, right?"

"Exactly. So the then they could just go out and kill all the earth benders too." Bitterness leaked into Iroh's voice, showing his distaste for the bloody history he was heir to. "But the water tribe proved more tenacious than the fire lord thought. They held on, despite all the odds. They finally had every bender pull out of the south, to run for the earth kingdom and draw the army's attention there. They were hoping to keep their families safe, and for the most part it worked.

"But every ten years or so, the fire lord would order the south pole to be attacked, to draw out any new benders that hadn't made for the army already." He looked over to Katara. "Bending runs in families. I imagine her mother and father were benders as well." He looked back to his nephew. "She really does have no reason to keep up this charade. But she defended us anyway. She actually ran in front of us when the guards were trying to shove us from the cliff and told them that if they wanted to get to us, they would have to go through her first. You do not give her enough credit."

Zuko pondered that for a moment, her willingness to treat his injury coming into a new light. "It's getting late. Should we wake her?"

"No. She has exhausted her energies. Let her sleep a bit longer. If she isn't awake past midday, then try to wake her." The boy nodded his understanding. "Until then, how about some pai-sho?"

Four rounds later, Zuko was struggling to keep his last piece safe. He sat back, thinking hard. All he had left was one movable pawn and his lotus tile, but what good would that—oh. He smirked, making his last move.

Iroh frowned in consternation, then smiled. "The rarely used 'back to the river' move. Well done, Zuko."

"Thanks uncle." He glanced out the windows, noting the time. "It's getting into the afternoon." He looked over to the girl, frowning. "Shouldn't she be up by now?"

Iroh nodded, getting up from his seat. "Yes, she should." He went over to the girl, eyes widening at her flushed face. He reached out to feel her brow, frowning at the feel of such heat. "Zuko, get the guards to call for a healer."

"What's wrong?"

"She's used too much energy," he said, pulling up the blankets around her shivering form. "She's in drain shock."

Zuko gasped. Drain shock could be lethal. When the bending energies of the body were so exhausted, the bender could unknowingly start draining their own life-force to replace the energy needed. He made for the door, finding a waiting Pai Long. The boy started from his position on the floor. "Is something wrong, Master Zuko?"

"Get the guards to fetch the healer. The princess is ill."

The healer diagnosis was the same as Iroh's, but his treatment differed. He recommended that the tub from last night be brought back in, filled with warm water, and the girl made to submerge in it. According to their research, a drained bender needed to be surrounded by their element to regain their energies. The bath last night had helped, but she needed to be in the water for a few hours at least. Zuko kept watch the whole time, making sure to go along with the charade.

He insisted that she keep some clothing on, to preserve her dignity in front of the older men. They agreed, leaving her in her light robe to soak. The doctor took his leave after leaving some further instructions for the girl to take it easy for a few more days. Zuko easily lifted her into the brass tub. She unconsciously drew in a deep breath, and the water began to glow with a soft light. Both fire benders and the young geishan drew back in awe as the water seemed to move with a mind of its own, molding to her body like a second skin. A few moments passed, and the glow slowly faded away.

A few hours later, Katara stirred, shivering in the now tepid water. "What's going on?"

"You have just successfully been treated for drain shock," Iroh said cheerfully from his chair. He and Zuko had passed the time playing a few more games of pai-sho, the young man still barely holding his own. Iroh had been teaching Pai Long some of the rules, using his bout with Zuko to demonstrate the game. "You had us quite worried."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. She looked down at herself in confusion. "Didn't I get out of the tub last night?"

"You did," Zuko said, taking one look at her and getting uncomfortable. "Pai Long, out."

"Pardon, Master?"

"I said, out! You are not to see her in this state!" The boy nodded frantically, bowing his way out the door. The prince sighed, turning back to the girl. "Now get out of those clothes." She chucked a bar of soap at him. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You pervert! I'm not getting naked in front of you!"

"I don't want to see you naked in front of me! So put some clothes on!"

She gestured down at herself as she stepped out of the tub, "I do have clothes on!"

"They're soaked! And you can see right through them!" He pointed out.

She gave herself another glance, gasping in horror. "What are you doing looking?"

He looked completely flustered for a moment before collecting himself. "I can't help it, you're right in front of me!" He roared.

The waterbender looked like she was about to blow a vein. "Then get out! Get out, get out, get out!"

"I can't leave, remember!"

"Then turn around, idiot!"

"I was going to anyway! And will you stop laughing, old man?"

Iroh was clutching his sides, knees buckling with laughter. "You---(gasp)---you two….fight…..like a married couple!"

"Oh, Agni forbid," Zuko said. "Stuck in marriage with an insane, indecent waterbender."

This time she threw a shoe at him.

(&&$

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